Draft gear



H. C. PRIEBE Sept. y4, A1923.

DRAFT GEAR Fi1ed"May 2s. 2 sheets-shut 1 {.LIVIIDVP IIN.,

K ilatenteci Sept. 4, i923.

PATE

Nr omer..

HERMAN', o. reinen,- or BLUE ISLAND, iLLrNors@ DRAFT GEAR.

' Application letl May 23,1921. kSerial No. 471,702.

To all 107mm z'fma'g/ conce/11a.' i

Be it known that l, HERMAN G. Fernen, citizen ot thellnited States, residin@ at Blue Island, in the county ot Cook and Statey otlllinois, have invented a certain new and usetul improvement in Draft`- Gears, of which theiollowing'is a full. clear,kconcise, and exact description. v 1

Y My invention relates tok drattgears that employ springs for resistingA pushing and pulling draft strains.

- The invention has for one object the'employment of a spring of attened formation which is adapted, by itsfshape, tor location between the sides vof coupler -yokes without impairingyits capacity. y

The invention also has' for itsjobject the provision ot a plurality' of springs between the sides eta coupler yoke thatfenga'ge tollower platesat the ends Q-tthe yoke. v l

Asthe invention is practicedthe coupler yoke is disposed between longitudinal Ysills whichniay be lthe center sillsoit the car.' Keys-are passed through these sills and the yoke, there being* spring's uponthe outersides of the sillsand interposed between the keys to oppose the` approachv of either kkey toward the other. The follower plates'pass Vthrough the yoke and terminateat the inner faces of the sills, one follower plate being engageable'by one end of the yokeand the other follower plate by the other end of the yoke.' Two springs kpass through' the yoke and are interposed between and' en-I ane said follower plates, thesespring's hav.- inf,r bores that are oblong in cross section and beingT formed of -helically wound ribbons, the aforesaid keys passing between theY springs whereby the lgreatest springcapacf ity within the available space `is afforded. rlhere are other springs upon the louter sides ot the sills that areinterposed between kformed as described, l do knot wish tobe limited to all these characteristics inall embodiments of the invention. y

l will explainniy invention more fully by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which l is a'view in plan, partially 1n section, ot a. draft gear constructed in aclcordance with the `preferred embodiment of 'the invention; Fig-2 is a side view of the structure shown in Fig. l minus the coupler shankyliigu is a'se'ctional View on line EigeneY andl are sectional views taken respect-Wely upon` lines L -i and 5-5 of Fig.

of. Figui minus the coupler shank;

l; Fig. 6 is acrosssectional viewot a modi- Y ficati'on; and Fig. 7 1s side elevation of the nmodification shown in Fig. 6.

Like parts-are indicated by siinilarfcharracterscrlreference throughout the di'erent figures. t. j

YThe Vdraftgear shown includes any usual i.

or suitable coupler ot'` which va shank 1f is yillustrated, this coupler shank beingassem-Y bled by means o'ta key 2 with t-he coupler voke rlhis couplerV shank, however, may

be otherwise assembled with.' the coupleryoke. The coupler yokeillustrated has'an elongated space rbetween itsY sides 4L and 5 that are arranged one above the other.

Key 6 and 7 are Apassed through' slots. 8 in the center sills 9,'thesc kkeys Ybeing embracedby the coupler yoke through the space of which they pass.. Stirrups 10 embrace the keys, the inner opposing' facesof these stirrups being engaged by the springs 11 that are upon `the outer` sidesot the center sills,

'these springs exerting' spreading action thereupon with a tendency to maintain Vthe keys inengag'ement with the aforesaid ends of the' yoke as illustrated. AFollowerplates 12, 13 also pass through the coupler yoke, theser follower plates beingf disposed alto- Qether between'thesides of the center sills,

the follower plate l2. beinglimitedj in its voutward movement by the cheekplates 14 and the follower plate 13 being limited in disposed longitudinallyot the center sills, pass through the yoke and arey interposed between and engage the follower plates to` have action thereupon independently of the springs l1. in order thatI these springs ymay beY disposed within the comparatively narrow space of the yoke-'they are `formed othelically wound ribbons and iiattened.

yitsinward movement by the cheek plates 15. -Twoemore springs i6 and 17 with their axes A member 1S; substantially of the thickness of the keys 6 andlT, is interposed between thc springs 1.6 and l? to maintain them apart and is of such width, measured lengthwise of the gear, as to both keys G and 'T when the springs have been conipressed to the limit intended. The member 1S floats so that eitherkey may move it toward the other.

ln the embodiment of the invention'illustrated in Figs. 6 and T nested co-aXial springs 19, 20 and 2l areV disposed between the sides of the coupler yoke, these springsbeing flattened' and formed of helically wound ribbons, the axes of' the springs extending lengthwise of the gear. These springs engage. the follower' plates l2 and 13. The springs shown in Figs. 6 and 7, similarly to the springs 16 and 17, are of maximum capacity because of their flattened Vformation and the'construction thereof of helically wound ribbons.

While I have herein shown and particu-r Ylarly described the preferred embodiment of my invention l do not wish to be limited to theprecise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made without departing from the spiritof my invention, but havingthus described my invention l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following 1. A draft gear including a coupler yoke; longitudinal sills between which said yoke is disposed; keys passing through said sills and said yoke; springs upon the outer sides of said sills and interposed between said keys to oppose the approach of either key and said yoke; springs upon the outer sides of said sills and' interposed between said keys to oppose the approach of either key ytoward the other; follower plates passing through the yoke, one follower plate being engageable by one end of the yoke and the other follower plate by the other end of the yoke; and two springs also passing through the yoke and interposed between and engaging said follower plates, these springs being flattened. the aforesaid keys passing between the springs. l

3. A 'draft gear including a coupler yoke; longitudinal sills between which said yoke is disposed; keys passing through said sills e. A draft gear including a coupler yoke;

longitudinal sills between which said yoke is disposed; keys passing-through said sills and said yoke; springs upon the outer sides of said sills and interposed between said keys to oppose the approach of either key toward the other; follower plates passing through the yoke; one follower plate being engageable by one end of the yoke and the Vother follower plate by the other end'of thevyoke; and two springs also passing through tbe yoke and interposed between and engaging said follower plates, the aforesaid keys ypassing between the springs.

5. A draft gear including a coupler yoke; longitudinal sills between which said yoke is disposed; keys passing through said yoke and sills; follower plates passing through the yoke, one follower plate being engageable by one end of the yoke and the other follower plate by the other end of the yoke; and two springs also passing through the yoke and interposed between and engaging .said follower plates; these springs being flattened, th'e aforesaid keys passing between the springs.

6. A draft gear including a coupler yoke; longitudinal sills betweenV which said yoke is disposed; keys passing through said yoke and sills; follower plates passing through the yoke, one follower plat-e being engageable bvone end of the yoke and the other follower plate by the other end of the yoke; two springs also passing through the yoke and interposed between and engaging said follower plates, thesey springs being flattened. the aforesaid keys passing between the springs; and a floating motion limiting member interposed between said keys.

7. A draft gear including a coupler yoke; longitudinal sills between which said yoke is disposed; keys passing through said yoke and sills; follower plates passing through the yoke;y one follower plate being engageable by one end of the yoke and the other follower plate by the other end of the yoke; two springs also passing through the yoke and interposed between and engaging said follower plates, the aforesaid keys passing between the springs; and a floating motion limiting member interposed between said keys. Y

8. A draft gear neludnga coupler yoke; and two spring `lso passing through the longitudinal sills between which said. yoke lyoke and interposed between and engaging is disposed; keys passing through seid yoke said follower plates; the aforesaid keys pass- `l0 und sills; followerV plates passing through ing.,y between the springs.' Y

5 the yoke, one follower plete'being engage- In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe able by one end of the yokeV und the other fol'- .my nzi-me'this'lSth dey of May; A. D. 1921. lower plate by the other end of the yoke; HERMAN C. PRIEBE. 

